Chirlane McCray, de Blasio’s Wife, Appointed to Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City

Chirlane McCray, wife of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, attends a press conference recently.

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Mayor Bill de Blasio will announce Thursday that he was appointing his wife, Chirlane McCray, to be head of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.

Political observers have wondered what role Ms. McCray might play since Mr. de Blasio won the election in November. She is poised to become the most influential first lady in modern history.

Ms. McCray has a background in city politics. Mr. de Blasio met her in 1991 at City Hall when she was a speechwriter for former Mayor David Dinkins. She was also a speechwriter for former state Comptroller Carl McCall and former comptroller Bill Thompson. More recently, she has been a full-time volunteer for her husband’s campaign, making phone calls and rallying troops on his behalf.

The mayor has described his wife as the most powerful voice in his life. She has been intimately involved in the appointment of top administration officials and the crafting of the mayor’s major speeches.

“When I’ve been trying to choose people for my team, a lot of time Chirlane sits in on the interviews,” Mr. de Blasio said last year. “There’s a deep trust. But I also like the way she assesses people and what she sees.”

She also has a strong online presence. She sends out tweets and posts family photos on her Tumblr account.

While New Yorkers have warmly welcomed Ms. McCray and the couple’s children, Dante and Chiara, into the fabric of public life in New York, a poll published last month showed only about a quarter of city voters want Ms. McCray to have a major role at City Hall.

According to the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, 27% percent of voters, including 31% of women and 23% of men, said the mayor’s spouse should have a major role in shaping policy. Another 36% said she should have a minor role. And 30% of voters, with 28% of women and 33% of men, said she should have no role.